June 23rd, 2005 3:13pm
She's Passive On Pills, He's Vicious On BoozeCristina...
She's Passive On Pills, He's Vicious On Booze
Cristina "The Lie of Love" - Perhaps the most remarkable thing about this song is how as it details in rather blunt language the ennui and inertia that has set into its characters' loveless marriage, the music avoids feeling excessively melancholy or melodramatic. Instead, it affects a state of pensive resignation rather like what I imagine the characters themselves would be feeling as they drift further apart while refusing to break it off completely. (Click here to buy it from Ze Records.)
Mini-Pops "Cruel Summer" - Long before there was Kidz Bop, the rotating cast of children in the Mini-Pops sang covers of contemporary pop songs, yielding hit records in the UK and Canada in the early 80s. From what I have heard, the Mini-Pops generally lack the surreal wtf-ness of Kidz Bop - the lyrics of the songs are generally age-appropriate, there are no adult singers, individual kids sing the leads, and there no huge choruses of extremely excited children belting out the choruses - but there's a certain charm to their recordings all the same, akin to seeing a really good, high-budget talent show at an elementary school. This version of Bananarama's "Cruel Summer" is all the more amusing to me in light of this news story from yesterday. (Click here for a rather informative Mini-Pops fan site.)
Cristina "The Lie of Love" - Perhaps the most remarkable thing about this song is how as it details in rather blunt language the ennui and inertia that has set into its characters' loveless marriage, the music avoids feeling excessively melancholy or melodramatic. Instead, it affects a state of pensive resignation rather like what I imagine the characters themselves would be feeling as they drift further apart while refusing to break it off completely. (Click here to buy it from Ze Records.)
Mini-Pops "Cruel Summer" - Long before there was Kidz Bop, the rotating cast of children in the Mini-Pops sang covers of contemporary pop songs, yielding hit records in the UK and Canada in the early 80s. From what I have heard, the Mini-Pops generally lack the surreal wtf-ness of Kidz Bop - the lyrics of the songs are generally age-appropriate, there are no adult singers, individual kids sing the leads, and there no huge choruses of extremely excited children belting out the choruses - but there's a certain charm to their recordings all the same, akin to seeing a really good, high-budget talent show at an elementary school. This version of Bananarama's "Cruel Summer" is all the more amusing to me in light of this news story from yesterday. (Click here for a rather informative Mini-Pops fan site.)
6/23/05 4:49 pm
The Mini-Pops stuff seems to be more true to the original song that those bizzare Kidz Bop songs.
They definitely need that asian kid from the Kidz Bop “Since U Been Gone” video. I’m sure he could spice it up for them.
6/23/05 5:28 pm
you didn’t have mini-pops in the US?!
6/23/05 5:32 pm
If we did, I sure never heard of them, and they were big when I was in their target demo. The closest thing I can think of from that era is probably Kids Incorporated.
6/23/05 6:01 pm
i wish that instead this was a cover of ‘Cruel Summer’ by the Danish band Minny Pops.
6/23/05 6:21 pm
The Cristina song is cracking me up. hilariously depressing lyrics in the vein of classic country.
6/23/05 6:21 pm
Kids Inc. did a version of Cruel Summer too. Martika sang lead.
6/23/05 6:38 pm
For a second there I thought these kids were on Factory Records. Yeah, that was Minny Pops..
6/24/05 9:29 am
hi! i just dropped by to thank you for your efforts. not only are your picks/commentary often marvellous, but also do you put so much effort into IDing your files…. with freakin’ pics included! sweetness.
6/24/05 12:34 pm
i was wondering when someone was going to get around to posting the lie of love. it’s got such a great atmosphere of vapid 80’s excess to it…the tedium of taken for granted wealth and exalted social status. witty, scathing lyrics, but unlike Audrey i don’t think i find it funny. it saddens me, but in a cautionary way - it’s saying ‘don’t ever let your life become like this’. i hope it doesn’t!
6/24/05 5:38 pm
There’s something slightly creepy and disturbing about children singing “It’s a cruel, cruel summer/leaving me here on my own” but I think that’s part of the appeal for me.
Kids Inc. would be Kidz Bop’s US counterpart as would Tada! which, strangely enough, I was a part of when I was a wee bit thing.
6/24/05 9:38 pm
I dunno how ‘age-appropriate’ Mini-Pops lyrics are. I haven’t heard much, but I have heard “Bette Davis Eyes” and their Village People medley, and, umm….
6/25/05 12:37 am
I like the new mini pop kids! All of the kids’ favotire song is something by usher and/or alicia keys. Look at their site here
6/25/05 1:21 am
“things fall apart” is my favorite track off of sleep it off. though this track’s still an excellent pick.